VNPT shortlisted for Broadband Awards

The Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has been
short-listed for the ‘Changing Lives’ awards - one of the 10 prizes up
for grabs at the Broadband Infovision Awards 2010.

The jury selected VNPT thanks to its initiatives and solutions for
developing broadband infrastructures and services in Vietnam during
2009 and 2010.

Holding the largest broadband market
share in Vietnam , at 75 percent, the group has narrowed the
“digital gap” between urban and rural areas, changing people’s lives by
giving them access to the internet and the knowledge-based economy.

VNPT will compete against three rivals – Columbus Networks, Saudi Telecoms and Telstra, for the award.

The Broadband Infovision Award is a world-acclaimed prize which is
presented annually by the UK ’s Informa communications group. It
attracts major telecoms corporations and operators from all over the
world.

53 entrants have been listed for this year’s
awards, covering 10 categories including best new service; broadband
access network technologies and services; broadband network and services
management and operations; content, entertainment, applications and
services; broadband home: appliances, devices, home networks and
services; enabling silicon and component-level technologies; network
innovation; green broadband; broadband innovation of the year and
broadband that changes lives.

Within the framework
of the Awards, a Broadband World Forum will also be held in France ,
from October 26-28, with 200 executives from the world’s leading
telecoms groups attending./.

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Vietnam Airlines to change terminal in Paris

HCMC - Vietnam Airlines as a SkyTeam will land and take off at Terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris from October 31 to harmonize with the operations of other SkyTeam member carriers.

Vietnam Airlines’ forthcoming move to the new terminal from Terminal 2C of the airport is also aimed at providing passengers with the opportunity to use a better waiting hall and kiosks for completing check-in procedures.

Pham Viet Thanh, deputy general director of Vietnam Airlines, clarified the spacious and well-furbished Terminal 2E would offer passengers new levels of comfort and convenience when traveling to and from Charles de Gaulle or transiting at this European airport before heading to other destinations.

Vietnam Airlines’ holders of business-class tickets and members of its Golden Lotus program will be allowed to enjoy services at the business lounge of Air France at Terminal 2E from that day.

In addition to Air France and Vietnam Airlines, other members of SkyTeam having their flights at Terminal 2E are Royal Dutch Airlines, Delta Airlines, Aeroflot, Korean Air, China Southern Airlines and Aero Mexico.

Vietnam Airlines spent heavily improving its services and opening more domestic and international flights before it became a full member of the world’s second largest global airline network after Star Alliance on June 10 this year. The airline is expanding its aircraft fleet to 70 by the end of this year to 115 by 2015 and 165 by 2020.

Vietnam Airlines operates more than 290 daily flights to 20 domestic and 26 international destinations. At present, the national flag carrier uses wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft for eight flights weekly from Vietnam to Paris.

Air France will begin its three non-stop services between Paris and HCMC every week from November 2 instead of flying via Bangkok at the moment to meet rising demand for travel to and from Vietnam.

Air France’s 747-400 aircraft will leave Tan Son Nhat Airport for Charles de Gaulle Airport in the evening of Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The opposite services will depart from the European airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and land on Tan Son Nhat at 4:55 p.m. the next days.

From November, Air France will also have two weekly code-share services from HCMC and five frequencies from Hanoi, and these non-stop flights will be operated by Vietnam Airlines under an agreement between the two carriers.

Vietnam Airlines’ non-stop services will depart from HCMC on Tuesday and Saturday nights and from Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for Charles de Gaulle.

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Air France unveils non-stop services to HCMC

Thierry Beragnes of Air France introduces the non-stop services between Paris and Vietnam at the press conference in HCMC on Wednesday - Photo: Mong Binh

HCMC - Air France on Wednesday announced it would operate non-stop services between Paris and HCMC and will increase frequencies from Vietnam from November this year, a time when demand for travel to and from Vietnam surges.

Thierry Beragnes, Air France’s country manager in Vietnam, told the Daily after a press conference held in HCMC on Wednesday to introduce the new services that the carrier would leave Tan Son Nhat Airport for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris at 10:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from November 2.

The services from Charles de Gaulle Airport will be at 11:25 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and land on Tan Son Nhat at 4:55 p.m. the next days.

Air France will use its Boeing 747-400 equipped with 40 business and 396 economy seats for the three weekly non-stop services, which Beragnes said would mark a new step in its development in the Vietnamese market.

Air France showed confidence in the Vietnamese market, which he said had changed for the better compared to six years ago when it suspended a code-share pact with Vietnam Airlines for non-stop flights from Paris, leaving the Vietnamese airline the sole operator of direct flights on this route.

“The economic context has changed and Vietnam on Thursday is quite different from six years ago in terms of development. An airline like Air France is really confident in the development of Vietnam,” Beragnes told reporters.

Air France will start to operate the new generation Boeing 777-300ER on the Paris-HCMC route in January to offer a full range of Air France in-flight products, including the new Premium Voyageur seat, which is positioned between the business and economy cabins.

Beragnes said passengers aboard the non-stop services would be served a choice of Vietnamese meals in all cabins in addition to the traditional French cuisine and wines.

From November, Air France will also join two weekly code-share services from HCMC and five frequencies from Hanoi, and these non-stop flights will be operated by Vietnam Airlines under an agreement between the two carriers.

Vietnam Airlines’ non-stop services will depart from HCMC at 11:10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and arrive in Paris at 6:30 a.m. the next days. The flights from Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi will take off at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Beragnes said the flight and route changes underlined stronger cooperation between the two members of SkyTeam. The flagship carrier of Vietnam became a full member of the world’s second largest airline alliance on June 10.

The changes mean Air France will stop flying between Paris and Vietnam via Bangkok as it does currently. However, passengers can board Air France’s flights to Paris and then to other destinations in Europe and the world.

Air France now sells return fares from US$777 excluding taxes and fees until October 24 for the non-stop services from either HCMC or Hanoi to Europe between November 1 and March 31, 2011. Beragnes said customers would be able to purchase these promotional fares on www.airfrance.com.vn, booking offices and agents.

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Air France unveils non-stop services to HCMC

Thierry Beragnes of Air France introduces the non-stop services between Paris and Vietnam at the press conference in HCMC on Wednesday - Photo: Mong Binh

HCMC - Air France on Wednesday announced it would operate non-stop services between Paris and HCMC and will increase frequencies from Vietnam from November this year, a time when demand for travel to and from Vietnam surges.

Thierry Beragnes, Air France’s country manager in Vietnam, told the Daily after a press conference held in HCMC on Wednesday to introduce the new services that the carrier would leave Tan Son Nhat Airport for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris at 10:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays from November 2.

The services from Charles de Gaulle Airport will be at 11:25 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and land on Tan Son Nhat at 4:55 p.m. the next days.

Air France will use its Boeing 747-400 equipped with 40 business and 396 economy seats for the three weekly non-stop services, which Beragnes said would mark a new step in its development in the Vietnamese market.

Air France showed confidence in the Vietnamese market, which he said had changed for the better compared to six years ago when it suspended a code-share pact with Vietnam Airlines for non-stop flights from Paris, leaving the Vietnamese airline the sole operator of direct flights on this route.

“The economic context has changed and Vietnam on Thursday is quite different from six years ago in terms of development. An airline like Air France is really confident in the development of Vietnam,” Beragnes told reporters.

Air France will start to operate the new generation Boeing 777-300ER on the Paris-HCMC route in January to offer a full range of Air France in-flight products, including the new Premium Voyageur seat, which is positioned between the business and economy cabins.

Beragnes said passengers aboard the non-stop services would be served a choice of Vietnamese meals in all cabins in addition to the traditional French cuisine and wines.

From November, Air France will also join two weekly code-share services from HCMC and five frequencies from Hanoi, and these non-stop flights will be operated by Vietnam Airlines under an agreement between the two carriers.

Vietnam Airlines’ non-stop services will depart from HCMC at 11:10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and arrive in Paris at 6:30 a.m. the next days. The flights from Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi will take off at 11:55 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Beragnes said the flight and route changes underlined stronger cooperation between the two members of SkyTeam. The flagship carrier of Vietnam became a full member of the world’s second largest airline alliance on June 10.

The changes mean Air France will stop flying between Paris and Vietnam via Bangkok as it does currently. However, passengers can board Air France’s flights to Paris and then to other destinations in Europe and the world.

Air France now sells return fares from US$777 excluding taxes and fees until October 24 for the non-stop services from either HCMC or Hanoi to Europe between November 1 and March 31, 2011. Beragnes said customers would be able to purchase these promotional fares on www.airfrance.com.vn, booking offices and agents.

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Domestic air market becomes more competitive

Photo: AFP

The arrival of two new Vietnamese carriers Air Mekong and Blue Sky Air is expected to stir up competition in the domestic market, which is currently overloaded.

Air Mekong, Vietnam's third private air carrier, is scheduled to launch its maiden flight on October 10.

The airline has received delivery of four Canadian Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft, owned by the US company Skywest Leasing. Each aircraft has 90 business and economy-class seats.

Truong Thanh Vu, Air Mekong’s Commercial Director, said that his airline is currently waiting for its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration.

Air Mekong is scheduled to provide passenger and cargo services on routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Danang, Nha Trang, Dalat, Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Ban Me Thuot, Hai Phong and Vinh.

Meanwhile, Blue Sky Air, Vietnam’s first joint private airline, will focus on services for industry, the agricultural and fisheries sector and the construction industry. It has been allowed to use helicopters, seaplanes and other kinds of airplanes.

Blue Sky already operates two airplanes and will gradually increase its fleet to meet the market’s demand. The carrier is registered to provide services on 20 routes to well-known Vietnamese commercial and tourist areas such as Vung Tau, Ninh Thuan, Dak Lak, Con Dao, Can Tho, Ca Mau and Phu Quoc.

Around 26.2 million passengers and 445,800 tonnes of cargo were transported by air in 2009, four times the number in 2000.

In the first seven months of this year, the country saw a 33 percent increase in air travel over the same period last year.

This number indicates that Vietnam’s air market has grown rapidly.

Vietnam has to date granted licences to nine operational airlines, including Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific Airlines, Vasco, Viet Air, Indochina Airlines, Mekong Air, VietJet Air, Blue Sky Air and Trai Thien Air.

Of these airlines, Vasco and Viet Air are both subsidiaries of Vietnam Airlines and Trai Thien Air only provides cargo services.

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines holds more than 80 percent of all domestic services

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India meets for decision on BlackBerry ban

Indian officials meet on Monday to decide whether to ban some of Research In Motion's BlackBerry services, a day before the deadline runs out for the firm to give security agencies access to its secure data.

Government sources have said the August 31 deadline could be extended if Research In Motion says it has a solution to allowing monitoring of emails and asks for more time to avoid disruption of its services in the world's fastest-growing mobile phone market.

Monday's meeting will consider a technical report prepared after two days of talks last week between RIM officials and Indian security agencies. The report, sources said, contains some suggestions on how a secure email on BlackBerry may be accessed.

"A final decision will be taken after considering all aspects and national security interests," a source in the interior ministry told Reuters. The outcome of the meeting may not be announced on Monday. The sources asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The meeting is due to start at 5 p.m. local (7:30 a.m. EDT).

India says it wants the means to fully track and read BlackBerry's secure email and instant messaging services that officials fear could be misused by militants.

India could become the first country to ban the services, even though several governments have raised concerns about the popular device over activities from terrorism to peddling pornography.

Saudi Arabia, fretful over online services like pornography, has reached a deal with RIM on the messenger service, a consumer product outside of the secure corporate domain. India too has reached a deal till November on Messenger service, according to government sources.

Such concerns have also been raised by Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, with the latter giving RIM an October 11 deadline.

Analysts see no easy fix to the standoff as RIM says it has no way of intercepting the data that countries want access to. RIM has denied media reports that say it provided unique wireless services or access to any one country.

A shutdown would affect about 1 million users in India out of a total 41 million BlackBerry users worldwide, allowing them to use the devices only for calls and Internet browsing.

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Some price rises likely for goods, services

HA NOI — The Ministry of Finance's Price Management Department predicts the cost of some commodities and services will rise again next month.

The department said domestic increases would follow global price rises for commodities such as pig iron, fertiliser and medicine.

Prices would also be affected by seasonal storms in the centre and the south, the department said.

Next month will also see the start of the new school year, which will force up demand for public transport and a number of other services, which are also expected to go up in price. The coming National Day and mid-autumn festivals will also push up transport prices and the cost of tourism services and consumable goods.

The department said the price of rice would increase only slightly due to high demand for exports to offset losses due to natural disasters.

The price of pork, however, is expected to fall next month in the south, while the price of foodstuffs such as seafood, beef and poultry is expected to marginally rise.

Meanwhile, it is anticipated the price of cement will stabilise in the second half of next month.

The Consumer Price Index in August increased slightly by 0.23 per cent over July, the General Statistics Office announced this week.

Do Thi Ngoc, from the GSO, said the CPI had not been affected by the rise in the fuel price or the depreciation of the Vietnamese dong. However, she predicted the coming month's CPI would be impacted by these factors. — VNS

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World Bank arm loans $5mln to securities company

The International Finance Corp, a World Bank arm, will lend $5 million to Hanoi-based Thien Viet Securities to develop investment banking services targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam.

The loan has a three-year term and can be converted into shares of the company. IFC will also advise TVS on risk management and corporate governance practices.

Thien Viet Securities, which has a capital of VND430 billion ($22.1 million) -- among the top 15 securities firm in terms of capitalization -- offers investment banking services to private companies looking to access the capital market.

It also consults on strategic development, operational management, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and initial public offerings.

By helping Thien Viet Securities enhance its capacity, products, and services to meet international standards, the IFC will be able to replicate these practices in other sectors of the economy, particularly small and midsized firms that are currently overlooked by foreign investment banks.

“We have invested in a number of Vietnamese banks before, but this is IFC’s first engagement with a securities service provider in the country,” Rashad Kaldany, IFC’s vice president for Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, said.

“It is a starting point for our work to strengthen more financial services providers in the country, with a focus on small and midsized enterprises.”

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HCMC’s CPI drops again in August

Ho Chi Minh City ’s consumer price index (CPI) in August fell by 0.25 percent from the previous month, the second drop in a row this year.

The index rose by 4.52 percent since the beginning of the year and 8.21 percent over the same period last year, said Director of the city’s Statistics Department Du Quang Nam .

Among the 11 surveyed groups of commodities, the price of post and telecoms services enjoyed the sharpest decrease of 4.71 percent, while the prices of food, restaurant services, and foodstuffs dropped by 0.77 percent, 0.13 percent and 0.06 percent, respectively.

Household utensils saw the highest CPI rise of 0.65 percent, followed by the group of housing-electricity-water-fuel, at 0.42 percent, and transport services, at 0.38 percent.

The prices of cultural-entertainment-tourism services were up 0.26 percent, and those of garments-headwear-footwear climbed by 0.12 percent and health care service, 0.11 percent.

During the month, the price of gold declined by 1.3 percent and the US dollar was up 0.77 percent over July.

 

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HCM City's CPI falls 0.25% this month

HCM CITY — The August consumer price index (CPI) in HCM City has fallen 0.25 per cent since July.

This was the second fall in two months, Du Quang Nam, head of HCM City's Statistics Office said yesterday.

Prices dropped by 0.13 per cent for catering and associated services, by 4.71 per cent for post and telecommunication services and by 0.07 per cent for other services.

The office's market experts said the price of rice fell 0.77 per cent, reflecting the new supply of the summer-autumn crop from provinces in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

Recently, food prices did show an increase, but this occurred after the processing of this month's CPI report.

Some other types of food also cost less, including fresh beef (2.69 per cent), processed meat (0.37 per cent), eggs (2.4 per cent), cooking oil (1.6 per cent), fish sauce (1.92 per cent) and vegetables (2.23 per cent).

However, this was offset by increases of 1.51. per cent for fresh poultry, 2.76 per cent for fresh fish and 1.81 per cent for beans.

The cost of household utensils and appliances, houses, electricity, tap water, fuel, transport, entertainment and tourism services, clothing, footwear and health-care services rose between 0.11 and 0.65 per cent.

However, the price of gold fell by 1.3 per cent while the US dollar went up by 0.77 per cent. — VNS

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